BCSO Child Exploitation Unit Takes Down Three Suspects For Sex Crimes Involving Children

By  //  February 7, 2020

message from Sheriff Wayne Ivey

Danny James McLaughlin, Rose Beth Litzky, and Roberto Oquendo were arrested for sex crimes involving children.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article is written by the Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As everyone is well aware, I love to share stories about about the incredible accomplishments of the men and women of our team.

Tonight, I want to bring to your attention the outstanding investigative actions of our Child Exploitation Unit.

The first case I want to share with you relates to 59-year-old, Danny James McLaughlin, who was recently sentenced in Federal Court to Life in Prison by the Honorable Judge Paul Byron in Orlando.

McLaughlin was convicted of using interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire and for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered McLaughlin to pay a $300,000 fine.

McLaughlin was convicted of using interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire and for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered McLaughlin to pay a $300,000 fine.

McLaughlin’s conviction is in reference to charges from an investigation that began when an undercover agent from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office who is a member of a Homeland Security Investigations/ICE Task Force received a social media message from McLaughlin who engaged in conversation about his desire to rape and kill a child.

Over the course of several days, the agent and McLaughlin communicated with the suspect advising that he would kill the child if the Undercover Agent assisted McLaughlin in the murder of his wife.

McLaughlin created a plan where the Agent and child would travel to Colorado with the thought that if the Undercover Agent assisted in the murder of McLaughlin’s wife, it would enable McLaughlin to have more time to keep the child captive as a “toy.”

McLaughlin offered to pay the Undercover Agent to help offset the cost of the travel from Florida to Colorado and also sent the Agent specific information concerning the location of his wife for the commission of the murder to take place.

As a result of the investigation, our Agent travelled to Colorado where he personally met with McLaughlin.

During the meeting, McLaughlin explained the reason for wanting to have his wife killed as well as details of how he would keep the child captive to sexually abuse and torture.

McLaughlin paid the Undercover Agent a cash deposit and made an agreement for two further cash payments. McLaughlin also acknowledged sending child pornography to the Undercover Agent as well as admitted that he had experience in molesting children. McLaughlin was then placed under arrest pending removal to Florida.

Also, today in Orlando, the Honorable Judge Roy Dalton Jr. sentenced 33-year-old, Rose Beth Litzky of Palm Bay to 30 years in Federal Prison for the crimes of conspiracy to produce child pornography, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography, involving two female children.

Both victims were toddlers at the time of the crimes.

According to evidence presented at trial, Litzky’s boyfriend, Roberto Oquendo was possibly in possession of child pornography.

As a result, Agents from the Sheriff’s Office who are assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations Task Forces, interviewed Oquendo. Oquendo disclosed to the Agents that he had taken pictures of two young children for sexual gratification.

Further investigation led to the seizure and search of several computers from a location in Brevard County where Oquendo had hidden them.

As a result, Agents from the Sheriff’s Office who are assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations Task Forces, interviewed Oquendo. Oquendo disclosed to the Agents that he had taken pictures of two young children for sexual gratification.

Through forensic analysis, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Agents found that one contained deleted chats between Litzky and Oquendo, where they had discussed taking sexually explicit images and videos of the two children.

The forensic evidence revealed that Litzky caused the two children to engage in sexually explicit conduct while chatting with Oquendo through a social media app that allowed Oquendo to watch the children for sexual gratification.

Some of the images depict Litzky as she encouraged the children to engage in sexual conduct. At the time the images were produced, Oquendo resided in Virginia and Litzky resided in Florida.

Agents interviewed Litzky about the sexual exploitation of the children and she admitted to producing hundreds of images. In January 2019, Oquendo pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and was sentenced to 50 years in Federal Prison.

Our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Offender/Predator Registration and Tracking Unit was created in 2005 to register and track sexual offenders/predators in Brevard County and also to investigate cases of child exploitation.

These Agents have arrested hundreds of individuals who have travelled from as far as Switzerland for the purpose of sexually exploiting children.

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In addition our team members have been recognized multiple times on a local, national and international level for their investigative expertise and have worked with both Federal and State legislators to enact laws that further protect the victims of sex abuse, cyber harassment and child exploitation.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Sexual Offender/Predator Registration and Tracking Unit, the Department of Homeland Security, The Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation Task Force is a multi-agency partnership initiated to investigate dangerous offenders and predators who prey upon children.

I can’t thank our Agents and Forensic Investigators, the FBI, HSI/ ICE and the Honorable US District Court Judges Dalton and Byron for their commitment to justice and the protection of our children!

Please join me in congratulating everyone who works around the clock to protect our most precious citizens, our children!

– Sheriff Wayne Ivey

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